Description of Prior Art
The application of cladding type materials on exterior architectural surfaces is a mature technology. General availability of such products can be traced to the 1950s. The form that is usually followed is that the products attempt to create the appearance of genuine wood clapboards or shingles while diminishing the needs for periodic maintenance.
The commentary outline that follows gives a detailed description of the characteristics of currently available products with some relevant pros and cons included.
Materials of Manufacture--There are three materials currently in use in the manufacture of cladding products. They are steel, aluminum, and plastic. Except for some extremely rare applications, the grade of plastic used is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PA1 Weather Resistance--Good weather resistance is essential for any cladding product. Aluminum and PVC are naturally highly weather resistant materials. Most aluminum and PVC cladding manufacturers guarantee their products for 40 years. Steel, however, requires protection to prevent rusting.
The word `shingles` is intended to mean any suitable imbricated surface.
Color Retention--The preferred method of maintaining color retention is to make the cladding elements out of a material that has the desired color completely through its thickness. In this way, any surface weathering simply exposes a fresh surface of new material from beneath which in turn maintains the color. This is precisely the technique associated with the use of PVC. Aluminum and steel, however, obtain their color from the application of paint. The paint has a limited useful lifetime and must be renewed when it has lost its effectiveness.
Installation--The customary technique for installing residing cladding products is a three step process. Each of the three steps uses nails as the fastening method. The first step involves the application of a course of predominantly vertically oriented series of furring strips (lumber boards with a 1.times.2 inch cross section). The second step involves the application of `moulding like` elements which are fastened around the building's windows and doors and along the building's corners. These `moulding like` elements provide a suitable frame for the finished siding as well as pocket-shaped recesses into which the edges of the siding units can fit. The third step is the actual installation of the siding units which is generally performed by starting at the lowest edges and working upward.
Thermal Expansion Considerations--The typical temperature extremes that siding products must endure vary between -30.degree. and +45.degree. Celsius. This variation can produce substantial levels of thermal expansion. This is especially true for PVC when it is installed in the customarily supplied 20 feet lengths. Under this condition, an expansion of 1 inch can be expected. This amount of expansion is more than enough to cause serious buckling. For this reason, the manufacturers instruct the installer to only loosely nail the product in place thus providing an avenue for unrestricted movement when expansions are encountered. The disadvantage of this is that the product is not ruggedly secured and usually rattles in high winds.
Vinyl and/or aluminum siding is available to the do-it-yourself homeowner. However, it is almost always professionally installed because it requires the use of special tools and skills. Too, such siding is not inexpensive. Vinyl and aluminum siding, when installed, occupies a position approximately two inches out from the original surfacing. This arises from the fact that such siding requires underlying furring strips. Consequently, window and door frames have to be trimmed outwardly to meet the siding, and this adds complication and cost. The vinyl and aluminum siding is subject to denting, from errant baseballs, fallen limbs, and the like, in that there obtains an open space therebehind, between the furring strips.
It is an object of this invention to set forth a cladding panel which is inexpensive, simple to install, requiring no furring strips, and which is resistant to impact damage.
It is particularly an object of this invention to disclose a cladding panel, for sheathing an exterior curtain formed of clapboard, shingles and the like, comprising a flat sheet having a front, decorative surface, and a rear, curtain-interfacing surface; wherein said surfaces are (a) bounded by rectilinear sides, top and bottom of said sheet, and (b) uninterrupted; first means, integral with said sheet, and extending from only sides thereof, for attaching said panel to an exterior curtain; second means, integral with said sheet, and extending from the bottom thereof, for nestably engaging a lowermost course of such exterior curtain; and third means, integral with said sheet, and extending from only one side thereof, for slidably engaging another, same, juxtaposed cladding panel, for effecting a linear alignment of both, so-juxtaposed panels.